


Always A Woman

by Ultra



Category: Smallville
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Based on a song, Charity Auctions, Dancing, F/M, First Dates, Friendship/Love, Love Confessions, Romance, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-11-24
Updated: 2007-11-24
Packaged: 2018-11-22 11:58:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11379729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: AU Futurefic. Chloe is not having the best day, and Lex is only too happy to swoop in and improve things.Inspired by the song by Billy Joel.





	1. Chapter 1

What she’d done hadn’t made her popular, Chloe Sullivan knew that. Exposing a local business tycoon for what he really was rarely gained friends, as the man in question faced the time that followed his crime, and all those connected to him suffered the significant loss. Investments now worth nothing, employees laid off, and despite the fact all guilt should be laid at said billionaires door, the reporter to blame for his illicit liaisons and dodgy dealings being made public was the person who bore the brunt of their wrath.

The easy option was to take cover and wait out the storm, but that just wasn’t Miss Sullivan’s style. Besides which, the event tonight was for charity and to not attend wouldn’t just make her a coward but a selfish bitch too, and that title she found even less appealing. She had volunteered, or rather Perry had volunteered her, as a lot in a date auction. It was tacky and degrading and she hated it, but since it was for charity and she owed her boss more than one favour, Chloe had graciously agreed to the task. Now she really wished she’d have stuck to her guns with a definite no.

Beyond the next door she would find a room full of people who despised her, and yet would be asked to bid on the chance to take her to dinner. She’d be lucky if she made a dollar for charity and the instinct to run a mile from this event stirred within the pit of her stomach, but Chloe didn’t show her worry or fear. She was well-practised at keeping her feelings in check these days. Ten years on from her high school self that was in love with her best friend and giddy with the joyous news of being the new editor of The Smallville High Torch, she now held a great secret about one of the world's biggest heroes, and held her head high as one of the greatest and youngest hot-shot reporters on the Daily Planet pay-roll.

Thoughts of these things gave the brief boost her confidence needed, as did the glance in the large gilt-framed mirror by the door. She looked good; over the years she taught herself to see it and believe it, even if there was no-one permanent in her life to remind her these days.

Patting her blonde hair that was piled up on her head and smoothing the edge of her specially chosen flowing lilac dress, Chloe took one more deep breath and glided into the room. To say all eyes turned to see her entrance would be ridiculously untrue and incredibly egotistical, though many a glare was cast in the direction of the young woman guilty of only doing her job to the very best of her ability.

Thankfully, her fashionably late entrance meant she wouldn’t have to mingle too long before the main event began, and with a little luck she could cover her embarrassment at not being too highly bid on with a gracious smile as she hurried back out of the building into the night.

In fact, by the time she’d picked up her complimentary champagne from one of the many waiters, and felt sufficiently awkward at standing alone with too many whispers about her flying around, the charity spokesman was up on the makeshift stage demanding quiet.

As Chloe attempted to hold her head high and ignore the world around her, every eligible young woman in Metropolis seemed to be brought up onto the stage and offered to the room as a potential partner for an evening of fun and entertainment. Hundreds of dollars were spent, one particular beauty made thousands, and though Chloe smiled and applauded awkwardly around her glass, she was by now feeling nauseous.

She was only glad that Lois wasn’t here, for as much as she might make good moral support, she would surely have only made her cousin look much worse in the auction by gaining infinite amounts of cash. Lois was much more the family beauty than Chloe, which would make this ordeal bad enough. The current situation of being hated by almost the entire room only made it ten times more tragic, if not more.

“And our final young lady on offer tonight,” said the man on the stage, smiling as he squinted down at the card in his hand. “Oh... Chloe Sullivan,” he said awkwardly, his expression now that of forced pleasantry.

Chloe steeled herself against whatever was about to come her way, put her glass down on a nearby table and walked confidently as she could up to the stage. She barely heard the little blurb being read from the card that explained just how wonderful she apparently was. All Chloe could hear was whispers of names she’d rather not have applied to herself, and feel the icy stares of the other guests burning holes in her back. As she stepped up beside the man who had introduced her, she forced the smile to stay on her face, despite the fact she received nothing like a friendly response.

“Shall we start the bidding at a hundred dollars?” he suggested, as he had with every girl, and yet nobody jumped in at all quickly this time around, in fact Chloe was sure a full hour past in which nobody spoke at all.

In reality just a few seconds past, before the host looked awkward and tried again to get some positive answer from the crowd.

“Surely somebody will offer something for the young lady?” he said, laughing lightly but without humour as he found himself feeling embarrassed.

He really spared no thought for the young woman beside him who was far more humiliated by the expected turn of events. Fighting the urge to cry and/or run away, Chloe kept her smile in place just long enough before her expression shifted to shock.

“Ten thousand dollars,” said a voice that she knew oh so well, and yet she and this man had not had a real conversation in years now.

“Ten thousand?” the man beside her gasped as all eyes now shifted from Chloe to the person who would dare offer such a sum for one date with this jezebel.

“I believe the words you’re looking for, Mr Thompson,” Lex Luthor told him with a smirk, “are ‘Any advance on ten thousand?’” he prompted, shifting his eyes from him the young woman at his side.

Chloe locked eyes with her saviour and gave him the most genuine smile she had managed all night as he was declared the winner of this particular auction, and the best sport of the whole night. Chloe didn’t dare to wonder if that was because he’d dared to bid on the social leper that she was, or if it was just because he’d donated the largest amount of cash. Instead, she just took the hand Lex offered her and stepped gracefully down onto the dancefloor as the auction was declared over and the assembled party were encouraged to dance.

“Well, Mr Luthor.” Chloe smiled at the man who wore a shirt so similar in colour to her dress it was almost as if they were destined to be a couple tonight. “If you were so eager to spend an evening in my company, you could have just called and asked, you know?”

“And where would the fun be in that, Miss Sullivan?” he countered, spinning her into his arms so they could dance, without ever actually asking if she wanted to.

“Could it be possible that the famous Lex Luthor, who always knows everything before anybody else, actually hasn’t heard of the heinous social crime I’ve committed?” she asked as he led her around the floor with ease - she kept up quite well.

“I would hope, Chloe, that we know each other well enough by now that you realise I gave up worrying about everybody else’s opinion of me a very long time ago,” he told her, formalities dropped without a thought as he reverted to the use of her first name.

“Lex, thank you,” she said sincerely then. “You kind of saved me tonight”

“I’m hardly in the league of the town superhero,” he said with a smirk, “but I have my moments. In any case, knowing me as well as I hope you do, Chloe, you know that I wouldn’t spend so much money, even on a charity auction, if the prize were not worth the winning.”

Chloe wasn’t really sure how to take that. She’d never been great with compliments, and tonight’s event was the last place she ever expected to receive one, least of all from the bald billionaire playboy that she’d assumed was a million miles away from her life now.

“You seriously want to take me out on a date?” she checked, not sure whether she was more shocked or embarrassed by that. “What am I saying?” She shook her head rapidly. “As if a guy like you ever does anything without being completely serious,” she said as the song ended and Lex relinquished his hold on her body.

Chloe was perhaps even more surprised to realise she felt disappointed at the loss of contact, and how good it had felt to be close to him like that.

“I think, Miss Sullivan,” he said, smiling as he kept a hold of her hand and raised it to his lips, “that I may surprise you yet,” he said as he kissed her knuckles.

Chloe stared at him, taking in his expression that was somehow playful and yet deadly serious at the same time. When he turned to walk away she called behind him.

“I’m not easily shocked.”

He turned back to glance at her.

“Evidently, Miss Sullivan, you could not see your own expression when I bid on you.” He smirked, before walking away at last.

Alone in the centre of the dance floor, the smile on Chloe’s face was genuine enough by now, and she had a distinct feeling it wasn’t going to shift any time soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Lex Luthor was rarely if ever nervous, and when such an occasion arose he certainly never showed a hint of that worry on the outside. Many long years of practise with his father as mentor had taught Lex well enough how to keep his emotions in check and his feelings entirely hidden from all prying eyes. The only person he’d ever faltered in front of was Chloe, and even then there had been a truth serum at work on his senses. Still, she had a way of getting to him, all those years ago. Though he hadn’t exactly divulged any secrets to the young reporter, he had on occasion felt that he might want to. She was different to any other woman he knew, and yet she was barely a woman at all back then. Eight years his junior, and barely in high school when they met, and yet she was so far from the children that surrounded her.

It was years since he’d seen her, though he’d thought of her often enough. To tell anybody that would astound them, he was sure, since by the time he left Metropolis they barely saw enough of each other to be classed as friends. Still, he knew what had been between them, that mutual respect borne out of knowing the other had a mind as sharp as their own. As much as Lex loved Clark, and he did like a brother, the farm boy wasn’t what one might call the sharpest knife in the drawer, and such a thing certainly could not be applied to Lana Lang. Chloe was the one person Lex always knew he would get an intelligent conversation out of, and a challenge too. She had certainly grown from a fine girl into an even finer woman, and Lex had noticed her the moment she’d walked into that charity auction a few days ago.

It had taken him a few moments to compose himself when he first saw her. She was radiant, and not just because of the dress she wore. Despite the rumours he’d heard all around the room, she exuded confidence and grace that was incredibly attractive to the billionaire who tired of the helpless princess types that were far too common.

Lex knew that torch he’d barely been aware he was carrying for Miss Chloe Sullivan years ago still burned as bright as ever. With so many years gone by, so many issues and problems long since resolved, there was no reason at all why they shouldn’t form a relationship. Where better to start, he considered, than swooping in and saving the day when she was in social peril. Waiting that extra moment was done completely on purpose, of course. As much as he cared for Chloe, Lex knew he’d be a fool not to get the maximum impact out of his bold move. Ten thousand dollars wasn’t exactly a fortune to him, he’d have paid ten times that if necessary to secure one evening in Miss Sullivan’s company, and her grateful smile was worth its weight in gold.

She had said he couldn’t surprise her, and in spite of the fact he knew he already had that night at the auction, Lex planned on making a real rollercoaster ride of their first date together. The word ‘first’ shouldn’t really belong in this situation, of course, Lex told himself as he pulled the car up outside the address Chloe had given him. This was supposed to be more an ‘only’ date, and yet, he had a feeling it would be so much more then that.

Her surprise when she opened the door was to be expected.

“Lex?” Chloe frowned at the sight of him. “Did I... Is my clock messed up?” she checked. “I wasn’t expecting you for another hour,” she said with a slight shake of her head.

Lex smiled at her. “Don’t tell me I’ve surprised you,” he said, smile twisting into a smirk as he teased her, and Chloe recalled his words from a few nights ago.

“Excellent,” she sighed. “You made your point, Lex, and its so very amusing,” she dead-panned, “but do you think you could go away for a while because I am nowhere near dressed and ready for our date,” she pointed out, gesturing at her informal attire and lack of make-up.

“Actually, Chloe,” her date told her as he leant against the door frame and looked her over, “you happen to be perfectly dressed for what I have planned,” he told her, offering a hand which she duly took, grabbing her purse with her other hand as she was practically pulled out of the front door.

The curious and confused expression on her face made Lex smile as he led her outside. Surprise her? He was going to astound her tonight, and at the same time ensure he showed her the man he had become, a man she might learn to care for as much as he knew he still very much cared for her.

“Okay,” Chloe said sceptically. “Since when did the great Alexander Luthor drive his own car?” she asked, shooting him a look.

“Since he decided that for one night he’d like to be seen as just Lex,” he told her, with a random hand gesture. “Besides which, I did promise to surprise you, didn’t I?”

“That is true.” Chloe nodded slowly, as she allowed him to lead her to the car and open the door for her.

Climbing into the expensive silver Porsche, her mind was racing. She couldn’t imagine where they were going to, but it was apparently not anywhere like she’d anticipated. The theatre, a fancy restaurant, definitely somewhere that required severe dressing up and impeccable manners. Apparently, she was wrong. Wholly and completely wrong. This she realised as Lex drove her a short distance to a bar a few miles away. It was on the edge of Metropolis and just a little run down, but kind of friendly looking in its way.

“You really are full of surprises tonight, aren’t you, Lex?” Chloe couldn’t help but smile as he opened her car door and she stepped out into the cool night air.

“You have no idea,” he assured her as they moved inside.

The bar wasn’t exactly heaving with patrons, in fact just a few people were seated on stools, and a few couples sat eating at tables. Those that were there were sure to notice that a billionaire playboy just walked in. Lex was nothing if not distinctive in looks and manner, and yet no-one seemed to bat an eye, expect the barman.

“Hey, Lex, my man,” the black guy greeted him like a friend as the pair shook hands. “Its been too long.”

“It really has,” Lex agreed.

Chloe gaped at the two men chatting like old friends, until finally her date was asking her what she would like to drink before they moved to sit down.

“Did we just trip into some parallel universe?” she asked as they sat opposite each other at a quiet table for two. “I mean, one day you’re dancing me around the floor at some fancy party in your Armani suit, paying ten thousand dollars for a date, and now you’re talking to the owner of some run-down bar in the middle of nowhere, acing like we’re a pair of everyday lovebirds on a first date”

“What else are we supposed to be, Chloe?” he checked, eye brow raised, before he glanced down at the simple menu before him and picked out something to eat.

Chloe frowned as she followed his lead and looked down at the list of food on offer. She was supposed to be reading and yet she took in none of the words. She was too busy processing Lex’s behaviour, and in particular, the words he had spoken just then. What were they supposed to be, if not those lovebirds on a first date? They were supposed to be... Well, Chloe wasn’t entirely sure what they were. Old friends, she suspected was the best description, and yet she knew in the back of her mind they might’ve been so much more than that. There were occasions, years ago when they’d been friends, that she’d daydreamed of a future with Lex in it. It wasn’t like her love for Clark, but it was real enough. The attraction, the fantasy, the possibility. She was a free agent right now, nothing was stopping her from doing whatever she wanted tonight, or any night for that matter. Clearly, Lex was quite happy to get close to her too, she noted, as his hand covered hers on the table. This she thought only briefly before she realised he was simply attempting to get her attention as a waiter stood by hoping she would give him her order.

Food chosen and duly ordered, an almost awkward silence descended over the table. Chloe hated that. Lack of intelligent conversation was bad enough, but lack of conversation of any kind made her extremely uncomfortable.

“So, what’s been happening with you, Lex?” she asked conversationally. “Any more wives I should know about?” she joked, that humour-to-cover-nerves rearing its ugly head once again.

“Thankfully not,” Lex told her simply and she nodded.

“They do seem to be more trouble than they’re worth for you,” Chloe agreed, sipping the drink that had just arrived in front of her.

“Well perhaps that’s just because I haven’t yet married the woman I’m destined to be with,” he told her as Chloe glanced up, her eyes meeting his.

The intensity of his stare made a delicious shiver run up her spine as she swallowed hard and fought the urge to blush. Men didn’t look at her that way. Those particular gazes were reserved for princesses like Lana or vixens like her cousin Lois. Chloe didn’t want to break this moment for the world but until she did she could hardly bare to breathe.

“Always the charmer, Lex,” she said, shifting in her seat. “I’ll bet you say this stuff to all the women in your life, and they duly fall at your feet.”

“A little too often,” he sighed. “As I’m sure you remember, Chloe, I always prefer a challenge over something easy,” he reminded her, as their food arrived and was placed in front of them.

Conversation didn’t so much dry up as it was pushed aside by the need to eat and the couple sat in a silence that was surprisingly comfortable by now. Chloe wasn’t sure how that happened, perhaps just enough compliments had come across the table at this point that she was better dealing with accepting them from Lex, her somewhat unlikely date for the evening. His charm was legendary and yet she got the impression that tonight he was being entirely sincere with her. She’d like to think she knew him well enough to tell the difference, and that her reporter's instincts were finely tuned enough to help her out.

“That was delicious,” she declared when she’d finished up her meal. “Seriously, Lex, how do you know about this place?” she asked, ever the curious one.

“The owner is a friend,” he said cryptically, “and he understands that sometimes I need a place to hide out, away from prying eyes. I suppose that’s true of all of us sometimes.”

“I don’t know.” Chloe shrugged. “Sometimes company is good,” she said with a genuine smile that made her eyes sparkle.

Lex recalled that particular expression on her face just once before when she was looking at him. A million miles from this place and time, at the safe house that summer when they’d really got close for a while. It was back in those days, when they’d spent hours keeping each other company, talking about anything and everything, that Lex had first noticed his attraction to the remarkable young woman that was Chloe Sullivan. When he began to realise how deep his feelings really ran for her. He’d forced himself to back off. After all, she was young then, too young for anything to really happen without a scandal being caused...

“Chloe,” he breathed her name. “Would you like to dance with me?” he asked as he got up from his seat and offered her his hand, just like he had at her apartment at the beginning of this date.

She wasn’t that young girl anymore, if she ever really had been. In Lex’s eyes, Chloe had always been mature enough to be his equal in every possible way, and now he finally had the chance to act upon what he’d started to feel so long ago. This time he would not allow her to slip through his fingers like so much sand.

“Lex, there’s no music,” she pointed out with a light laugh, but he only smirked as he walked purposefully over to the jukebox in the corner.

Chloe got up and followed, standing a couple of feet away as he stopped and turned. With an action reminiscent of the Fonz, he hit the old jukebox with the side of his fist... and it remained silent.

Chloe bit her lip and held back the laughter that rose in her throat.

“Damn.” Lex cursed the machine as he smirked in her direction, “You know, had the worked I would’ve expected sex,” he joked.

“Had that've worked, you would’ve gotten it,” she teased him in return, almost wishing she hadn’t when he shot one of those knee-quiveringly intense stares her way again.

Lex soon had the jukebox working the old fashioned way and smiled as he walked up to Chloe, taking hold of her in the appropriate manner as they began to dance.

_She can kill with a smile, she can wound with her eyes_  
_She can ruin your faith with her casual lies_  
_And she only reveals what she wants you to see_  
_She hides like a child, but she's always a woman to me_

Chloe was in no doubt that Lex had chosen this song on purpose. The smirk on his lips confirmed it as he led her expertly around the empty space and she kept up just as well as she had a few days ago, dancing at the charity event.

_She can lead you to love, she can take you or leave you_  
_She can ask for the truth, but she'll never believe you_  
_And she'll take what you give her as long it's free_  
_Yeah, She steals like a thief, but she's always a woman to me_

“How did you remember?” she asked, almost amused as they continued to dance.

“That you like Billy Joel?” he said with a smile. “There is very little I’ve forgotten about our time at the safe house, Chloe. However innapropriate it might sound for so many reasons, that was without doubt the best summer of my life.”

_Oh, she takes care of herself_  
_She can wait if she wants, she's ahead of her time_  
_Oh, and she never gives out_  
_And she never gives in, she just changes her mind._

Chloe wasn’t sure she was breathing anymore after Lex’s sincere and surprising words, but it didn’t seem to matter, he had words enough for both of them.

“It seems you’re just as light on your feet now as you were then,” he complimented as he spun her out of his arms and back in, with the two of them ending up much closer on he return.

“I had the best dance teacher money couldn’t buy,” she said breathlessly and with a smile, not bothering to extract herself from this closer embrace, not seeing really why she should.

_And she'll promise you more than the garden of Eden_  
_Then she'll carelessly cut you and laugh while you're bleeding_  
_But she’ll bring out the best and the worst you can be_  
_Blame it all on yourself 'cause she's always a woman to me_

“Chloe, I couldn’t tell you then what you meant to me,” Lex said softly as they continued to dance, aware of nothing but each other and the lyrics and melody that spun on in the background. “Too many things got in the way, I worried too much about the complications.”

_Oh, she takes care of herself_  
_She can wait if she wants, she's ahead of her time_  
_Oh, and she never gives out_  
_And she never gives in, she just changes her mind_

“And now?” Chloe asked, her feet and body moving on automatic by now, and paying no heed to anything but his words, his intense gaze, and all that was Lex Luthor.

“Now I realise that those things that come with complications are often the only things worth fighting for,” he told her. “Seeing you again only served to remind me what was missing from my life, Chloe.”

“And here was me thinking you were the man that had everything.” She smiled up at him, barely breathing as he stopped their bodies moving at once.

“Perhaps, after tonight,” he said, gazing down at her, “I will be,” he whispered as he dipped his head and covered her lips wish his own.

In the background, Billy Joel continued to sing and the drunks at the bar went about their business of drowning their sorrows in so much liquor. No-one was really aware of the kissing couple in the middle of the dancefloor, but then why should they be? They were just like any other man and woman, falling in love.

_She's frequently kind and she's suddenly cruel_  
_She can do as she pleases, she's nobody's fool_  
_And she can't be convicted, she's earned her degree_  
_And the most she will do is throw shadows at you_  
_But she's always a woman to me._


End file.
